Building block or brick



Nov. 27, 1923. 1,475,714

J. NEUMrANN BUILDING BLOCK OR BRICK Patented Nov. 27, 1923.

sTATi-:s

TOH NEUMANN, CHICAGG, ILLINOIS.

To all whom t may concern.' Y

Beit known that I, JOHN'NEUMANN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Blocks or Bricks, of which the following is a description. My invention relates to improvements in bricks or blocks, and more particularly to blocks that may be .emplo ed for building purposes or the like, inclu ing furnace and re arch constructions. v

@ne of the objects of my invention is to provide an interlocking block so constructed as to cause all of the blocks in a wall to interlock with each other independently of the bonding material used, and further, to

provide interlocking means that act as guides in aligning or laying up the wall so as to permit inexperienced workmen to easily and accurately set the blocks in walls ot all kinds. v.

A. further object of the invention is to provide an interlocking block so formed as to permit it to be laid so as to interlock with other blocks in. adjacent courses and which may be laid transversely of other courses to cross-bond the sameand interlock with the blocks in the cross-bonded courses.

Another object of my invention is to provide blocks as above described which will be hollow, making them extremely light in weight without sacrificingv strength, and also forming individual heat-insulating, dead-air spaces in each block when they are built into a wall.

Many other objects and advantages of the 'construction herein shown and described novel construction, arrangement and comles will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosures herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the bination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

lln the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts,

F ig. l is a top plan view of a wall embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

block as seen from above;

' BUILDING BLOCK OBBRICK.

Application med February 8, 1922. Serial No. 534,593.

Fig. 5l is a perspective of one form bloc-k Fig. 6 is a perspective of the saine as seen from below;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a modified form of block as seen from below, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the block shown in Flg. 7 as seen from above.

The preferred form of block, shown in Figs. 5' and 6 is of substantially rectangular form having a top wall l, side walls 3 and 4 an end walls 5 and 6, the edge 2' of the side and end walls formin the-block, but it is to be un erstoodthat the invention applies equally to blocks oi other form or shape for which it may be rendered adaptable.

The interior of the 'block is hollowed out,

lto form an opening as at 7, so that the walls iof the block are comparatively thin. Along ges of the top wall ofv the inner meeting e the block, with the walls perpendicular thereto, the block in thickness, as-at 9, so as to strengthen the 'block along theseedges.

At the upper face l of the block there are provided rojections or lugs 8, made ci any suitable frm, but in the present instance are of polygonal outline and square. It will be noted that the projections are rounded of toward their upper or outer ends so that their bases are of greater area than their inner or lower ends. The projections 8 are disposed midway between the side edges of the block and tween the ends of squares equal'on allsides to the width of the block, but which are separated from each otherat the middle of the block at a distance equal to double the thickness of the side walls of the block plus the width of the mortar joint employed. This is particularly shown in Fig. l.

The width of the rectangular opening 7 is slightly greater thanV the length of the sides of the projections 8, and the length of the opening 7 is slightly greater than the distance between the si es ci the projections adjacent the ends ci the blocks, so that when the blocks are superimposed in wall formation with the mortar, the bases of the projections will so closely t the recess 7 as' to tend to nest and prevent relative latpreferably increased ia preferably,

titi

the bottom of midway bev 'ier eral or longitudinal movement of the blocks.

Thus, when the layer of mortar is interposed between the blocks there will be a very small around the peripheral walls thereof and the opposed walls of the recess? vto receive some of the mortar. It will be noted that the edges of the projections 8 are rounded or tapered off, as at 10, so as to facilitate the assembl of the blocks.

The blocksy thus formed will interlock with each other, whether laid in staggered relation to each other or otherwise in the courses, or transversely to each other, as in cross-bonding corner construction, as will be obvious. Thus, a wall constructed of these blocks will be exceedingly strong and because of the fact that the projections and recesses will act as guides for properly relatively positionin the blocks yin the wall, such walls may built by inexperienced Workmen at a. low` cost and yet produce a roperly finished and durable construction.

n laying it is not necessary for the work-- men to spread the mortar on the blocks with a trowel, but the open end of the blocks may be dipped in the mortar and then laid the same as if the mortar were'hand applied.

In the modified form shown in Figs. T and 8, the block is hollowed out throughout the interior thereof so as to provide relatively thin Walls, exce t that in this case the end Wall 6 is open instead of the bottom wall. The s uare projections 8 are of lessI length than t ie inner length of theopening 7 between the parallel walls 3', 4', and con-l sequently the recesses l1 formed throu h the lower wall 2 must be of substantial y the same size and shape as the projections 8', so

that when the blocks are superimposedon' each other in courses, the projections 8 of the lower block will be received in the recesses 11 of the u per block ,whether the blocks are laid in t e same direction in adjacent-courses, or when laid transversely of each other as when cross-bonding.

It will be noted that when the blocks are laid in wall formation that the hollowed interiors 7 form individual and discontinuous insulating or dead-air spas, which 'is especially desirable in practically every form of wall construction, as for instar e in boiler settings, fire brick arches and the like. Having thus described my invention, obvious that various immaterial modifica tions may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention;

dinally or transversel o hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I 'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A hollow block of the kind described having one side open the entire area of said side except at the bounding edges vofthe block, and a polygonal lug projecting from one face, of a size to be received in a recess provided in a mating block when said firstmentioned block is arran ed either longituthe mating block.

2. A block of the ind described having top, bot-tom, side and endvwalls, and provided with a chamber in its interior, said bottom wall provided with a rectangular opening therethrough communicating with, said chamber, and a pair of spaced square lugs on said top wall, either or both o which are adapted to non-rotatably enter said rec tangular opening of a mating block, so that said blocks may be superimposed either longitudinally of or transversely' of one an` other. v i

3. Awall composed of a series of courses of blocks laid in staggered relation to `each other, each of said blocks being hollow throughout its interior so that the bounding faces form a shelland provided with at least one projection on one faceY disposed midwa between one* end and the middle and midway the sideedges thereor', and in its opposite face with a similarly positioned recess adapted to receive-'the projections of a block in another` course, said-recess and projections ,constituting guides for accurately' determining the relative positions of the blocks in each. course and constituting means forv preventing splitting ot 'the wall in the mortar joints, said interlocking means comprising means whereby corner' blocks may be laid transversely to each other and interlocked.`

Inv testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v JOHN NEUMANN. Witnesses:

JOHN W. Hum,

H. C. JACOBS.'-

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